Telepathically Connected
by S. Schumaker
Summary: COMPLETED! M&Y Miki and Yuu are having difficulty expressing their feelings for each other. What happens when suddenly they can hear each other's thoughts, and everyone else's around them?
1. Chapter One

**"Telepathically Connected"  
by: S. Schumaker**

Disclaimer: I do not own Marmalade Boy or any of the characters.

(AN: Now don't worry loyal TC fans, the story is still coming at you full blast, soon! In order to write the next installment, I had to go back a few chapters and rework a little! But do not fret! If you've already read it, and still remember the plot...it hasn't changed, really... I just rewrote a few lines here and there, so if you don't want to read the first few chapters again...don't! Anyway, enjoy it and keep those reviews a coming! Thanks! Also, anything in parentheses is a thought, okay? Thanks!)

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**Chapter One**

The day had seemed like a normal one, or at least as normal as one could be growing up in the Koishikawa-Matsuura household. Miki and Yuu had just said their good-byes to their parents, who were off to work that Wednesday morning. Miki was busy making breakfast in the kitchen, trying not to inform Yuu of her wandering eyes over his male form, and Yuu was trying to read the paper, desperately trying to keep himself under control and _not_ look at his step-sister so close to him. The two had been harboring silent feelings for the other for as long as they had known each other. The only problem, both were too scared of rejection to make the first move.

Nothing special ever seemed to happen on Wednesdays. It's just the day in the middle. Not a crappy-ass Monday morning, or a wild party Friday night. Just Wednesday. But, this Wednesday was different. The fates had other plans in mind for the two teenagers; hopefully what was coming wouldn't get them in too much trouble!

The day had gone by, like every other, and soon the two adolescents were back home at the end of the day. Their parents had gone out for a romantic evening dinner, and had left them at home alone. Yuu had immediately gone to his room, so as not to do something he would regret while being alone in the house with his love interest, and Miki had taken her place at the kitchen counter to work on her homework.

Before she was even halfway through her English assignment, she realized she was in desperate need of her Japanese to English dictionary. She just couldn't seem to remember where she had left it. She raced up to her room, glancing at Yuu's closed door before entering her own domain. She searched her room high and low for it, before suddenly realizing she hadn't unpacked it when they had moved in a few months earlier. She thought she had gotten the English language down a little better and so had left it in its box. She continued to the small storage room the family had at the back of their house. She rummaged through box upon box before finally settling her eyes on the one she knew held her book. As she was about to walk toward it, she tripped over something below her.  
"What in the-" Miki stated, rubbing her sore knees as she looked around for her cause of her discomfort. "Ancient Spells?" She read off the cover of an old, worn book. She shrugged, flipping open the cover with curiosity. She scanned the text, thinking it to be some strange fiction book for teenage games, before something caught her eye. "To hear what is silent," She read. "Hm...I wonder what that means..." She ran her eye over the text below the heading before voicing it aloud.

"As pure lights shadow as truth ends fear, Open locked thoughts to my mind's willing ear."

Suddenly, a bright, white light engulfed Miki. She took in a sharp breath in excitement and fear, as the light seemed to swallow her whole. And, before she knew it...the light was gone. Miki's eyes were wide in shock as she looked around for the source of the light. She shrugged, thinking nothing of it before shutting the book and continuing on toward her forgotten dictionary. When she had finally found it, underneath her elementary school yearbooks, she started on her way back to the kitchen.

She stopped suddenly, glancing down at the old book at her feet. She squinted her eyes at it, before giving in and snatching it up in her arms. She took her two books back out to the kitchen and to finish up her homework.

Later that evening, Yuu had come down, finally deciding it was safe to be around Miki, besides, he was getting hungry. He slinked toward the fridge, glancing over the lone bottle of olives and the box of baking soda. He sighed, shutting the door after him. His eyes glanced over Miki's rustled features. Her hair was everywhere, falling into her tired eyes, her eyes were focused on her paper in front of her, and her fingers tapping her pencil rapidly against the table in which she sat. (She looks exhausted,) he thought.

"I'm not tired." Miki said back in reply.

Yuu looked confused. "Huh? I didn't say anything; you _must_ be tired. Now you are hallucinating." Yuu laughed. (God, why do I always pick on her like that?)

Miki looked up from her work. Staring at him strangely. "What did you just say?"

"I said you look tired." Yuu looked at her in confusion. (Are you okay, Miki?)

"Of course I am! Geez!" Miki said in a huff. She closed her book and grabbed her things and was headed toward her room to finish up her homework.

"Wait a minute! Why are you getting so upset? I'm just worried. You really do look exhausted. You should go to sleep."

"But...but..." Miki looked at him in confusion. "Wait a minute..." she said to herself. (What if that _spell_ thing was actually a spell. What if 'To hear what is silent' means that now I can hear people's thoughts that I normally wouldn't. Whoa, better test it out...) Miki nodded. "Yuu, think of a number...any number..."

Yuu stared at her as if she had grown another head, "Okay..." (5,098)

"5,098? Is that what you thought?" Miki answered.

"Whoa...how did you know that?" Yuu asked. Miki dropped her shoulders. She was in for it now. What was she going to do? How was she going to handle hearing his thoughts and everyone else's around her?

To Be Continued...

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_(AN: Review please, thanks!)_


	2. Chapter Two

**"Telepathically Connected"  
by: S. Schumaker**

Disclaimer: I do not own Marmalade Boy or any of the characters.

(AN: And again, this chapter was slightly altered, but nothing huge! Enjoy, and leave some reviews!)

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**Chapter Two**

"Yuu, I swear…I just read from this book," she picked up the old book beside her, showing it to Yuu, "and suddenly _whoosh_. I was surrounded by a bright white light and then, I could hear your thoughts!"

"But Miki, that just doesn't make any sense. How could that be possible?" Yuu said, taking the book from her and scanning through it. "Which one did you read in here?" Miki got up and leaned over next to him, flipping through the book's pages. Yuu was currently in a daze. Having Miki stand so close to him, her body heat radiating off of her, was driving his senses wild. (God, she smells good…) He thought, taking in the scent of her hair shampoo.

"Why, thank you!" Miki smiled, as Yuu blushed behind her. He'd have to be careful what he thought about her from now on. "All right, this is it!" Miki said, standing back and allowing Yuu the chance to look at it. "To Hear What is Silent… Are you sure this is the right one?" Yuu questioned. Miki nodded, she was positive. "As pure lights shadow," Yuu began.

"No! Don't read…" Miki started.

"As truth ends fear, Open locked thoughts to my mind's willing ear." Yuu read.

"-it out loud…" Miki finished with a sigh as she watched the same white light engulf Yuu that had her. She slumped down in her chair. Now her thoughts weren't safe either. This was _just_ perfect…

(What the hell was that!) Yuu thought to himself.

(That was the spell, you dolt!) Miki screamed in his head.

"Whoa! You didn't say that…you thought that?" Yuu asked in confusion. Miki nodded in annoyance. (This is bad. This is very bad.)

(You can say that again…) Miki thought back.

(But I didn't…) Yuu teased.

"All right! That's enough! No thinking from you until we figure this out!" Miki grabbed the book and began to search for some kind of reversal spell. At the bottom of the page, she noticed some small writing. She leaned closer to it to focus her eyes. "The spell can only be reversed when all secrets are revealed." Miki read aloud.

"What!" They both screamed. This was not happening…this was definitely not happening…

An hour later found Yuu pacing in front of the table as Miki continued a frantic search through the old book. She flipped to the very first page and found a short inscription.)Those who read from the book are the chosen ones.') Miki furrowed her brow in concentration. (Does that make Yuu and I the chosen ones? I wonder what would happen if someone else read from the book too. Perhaps I should have Meiko read it, see if she can make the spell work.) She thought to herself, Yuu silently listening in.

"I don't know, Miki. What if Meiko can get the spell to work too…we don't want to have more people running around with this problem. The less people that know about this the better!" Yuu said, just as the front door was heard being opened. Yuu grabbed the book from Miki and shoved it in her bag resting on the table.

"Yuu! Miki! We're home!" Four voices called out. Yuu and Miki both walked out to greet their parents.

"Hey guys, did you have fun?" Miki asked, noticing the bright smiles on all their faces.

"We sure did…" Jin started, glancing over to his wife, Chiyako, (but the night's not over yet!) He raised a suggestive eyebrow at Chiyako, which made her blush. Miki's jaw dropped in shock at her father's words.

(Miki, don't say anything! They don't know about this yet, and let's keep it that way.) Yuu said to Miki telepathically.

(You're right…but ew! That's _so_ gross! Yuck!) Miki thought back. She smiled, "That's good. Well, Yuu and I have some homework to do. Shall we?" Miki turned to Yuu, racing in to grab her bag and books and following Yuu up to his room. Once they had shut and locked the door behind them, Yuu flopped onto his bed; Miki took her place on the floor. She reached into her bag and took out the book again, flipping it open once more.

She began to read it silently, starting at the history of it. She read about witches and wizards, warlocks and demons. She began to shiver. All her life she had wished something like this would happen to her. That something supernatural would happen, but she never believed it actually would, and now that it had, it frightened her. She just wanted to be normal. She should have just thrown that option out of the window when her parents switched partners with Yuu's. She should have known that she would never be normal and that strange things would continue to haunt her days. Somehow, this all seemed natural to her.

"You know what I just figured out?" Miki asked Yuu.

"What's that?" Yuu asked, turning to look at her.

"I'll never have to ask 'What are you thinking about?' ever again!" Miki said happily. (Maybe now I can actually figure out what Yuu's thinking sometime…)

"Am I really that hard to read?" Yuu asked, loving this new power of his.

(Shoot!) "You know, sometimes this mind reading thing can be such a nuisance." Miki said, frustrated at being caught thinking about him. She quickly shrugged it off and continued searching through the book. "Hey, look at this cool spell!" Yuu slide down his bed and laid down next to Miki to see what she spotted. "To Find What is Lost." (Papa certainly could use this in the mornings…) She laughed. "This book is really neat, but I don't think we should read any more spells. Something bad might come out of it. I mean, look…now we're stuck in each other's heads for who knows how long!" She jumped up, book in hand, and slide it somewhere in Yuu's bookcase. (So, now what are we gonna do?)

To Be Continued…for now!

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_(AN: Hope you enjoyed chapter two. Sorry it's so short, but I didn't want to keep you all waiting much longer! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!)_


	3. Chapter Three

**"Telepathically Connected"  
by: S. Schumaker**

Disclaimer: I do not own Marmalade Boy or any of the characters.

(AN: Alteration here, alteration there...nothing drastic! Enjoy this chapter! Thanks!)

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**Chapter Three**

Soon after their escape to Yuu's bedroom, they began to test their new powers. Yuu positioned Miki just outside of his room, door open. They thought and thought but couldn't get a thing out of the other. "Well, that's a relief. Now we won't have to hear thoughts from people in other rooms." Miki said, flopping back down on his bed. The two of them had been steadily learning to keep their private thoughts at bay until the other was gone, but what Yuu did next caught Miki by surprise.

He shut his bedroom door and walked over to his closet, lifting his t-shirt over his head on his way. Miki's eye's glazed over as they drifted over his muscled skin, his broad shoulders, and his smooth back. (Oh God…) She thought to herself, her body shaking slightly. She tried to make her eyes look away, but it was so difficult. Before she had time to even realize what was happening, Yuu slide a new shirt in its place, breaking Miki's gaze on his six-pack.

"Sorry, weren't you finished?" Yuu laughed, walking toward her slowly.

(You'll never know.) Miki thought before she realized her mistake. "Oops…maybe you will. I gotta go." Miki rushed out of his room, racing to her own before Yuu could straighten his own thoughts.

Once Miki was safely in her domain, she began cursing her new telepathic abilities. She had to be extra careful from now on. While she was trying to come up with a way to hide her emotions from her close stepbrother, the telephone rang. She walked toward it and lifted it to her ear. "Moshi-moshi?" She asked into it.

"Miki-chan!" A voice replied.

"Oh, hi Meiko-chan! What's going on?" Miki said to her best friend. The two of them had been close for years!

"I was just wondering if you and Matsuura-kun would want to go see a movie with me tomorrow." She offered.

"Wow! That sounds great! Hold on a sec, I'll go ask Yuu if he wants to go too!" Miki said, placing the phone on her desk and rushing off to Yuu's room. "Yuu!" She called through his door. Before long, Yuu's face appeared before her.

"Yes, Miki."

"Would you like to go to a movie with Meiko and I tomorrow?" Miki asked him, silently pleading that he would.

"Well, since you want me to so badly, I guess I will." Yuu smiled, shutting himself back into his room. (Oh no! He wasn't in his room when I thought all that stuff. Stupid. Stupid!) She thought to herself as she returned to her room and Meiko's phone call.

"All right Meiko, we're in! How about we meet you at the theatre around four?"

"All right, sounds great! We can decide what to see when we get there!" Meiko said, "Talk to you soon!"

After Miki relayed the plans to Yuu, she slipped into her pajamas and hopped into her bed. She had one stressful day and she was just exhausted. She nearly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep once her head hit the pillow.

The next day, Miki and Yuu met in the hallway on their way to the breakfast table. Miki had to suppress a giggle when she saw Yuu's morning hair. (He looks just like a little boy in the mornings…) She thought, self-consciously checking on her own hair.

"Yes, I know I'm just adorable, but we already established that when I caught you staring at my half-naked body last night…" Yuu laughed, bounding out of reach from Miki's raging fists.

"I was _not_ staring!" (Jeez…) She replied stomping down the stairs.

(Miki! I was only teasing you…) Yuu said to her telepathically as he dropped his hands on her shoulders behind her. (Forgive me?) His baby pout made her smile as she forgot it all. They continued on to the kitchen walking in on something they wished they hadn't…

(I can't believe he'd say something like that about her!) Yuu's mother thought.

(What a jerk!) Miki's mother thought afterwards.

Both of the teens stopped in their tracks as they entered the living room. What had happened in here? They could not only feel the tension between their parents, but hear it as well.

"What's going on?" Miki asked tentatively. She glanced at each one of her four parents in turn, concentrating on their faces trying to read something, _anything_, from their expressions.

"Nothing, honey. Why don't you two go out for breakfast?" Her father gave her a small, unconvincing smile, handing them a couple bucks as he walked past. "Enjoy yourself." He continued, shutting the door to his bedroom.

Soon afterwards, the remaining three walked past, each going their separate ways, leaving Miki and Yuu completely stumped. (Yuu, I don't like this…) Miki's hands were trembling and her head was pounding with confusion.

(Don't worry; I'm sure it was just a lover's spat. They'll make up. Why don't we go get ready for the school and leave a little early to get some breakfast?) Yuu said, leading Miki back to the stairs.

Miki had decided that Yuu was right. Her parent's had had arguments before; this was probably just the same thing. She put it out of her mind and concentrated on her open closet before her, trying to find her school uniform buried inside it. She didn't really understand why, but she spent more time on her looks that day, adding a light gloss to her lips and some mascara to her eyes. She glanced herself over and wondered if she would look good in her stepbrother's eyes.

As if he was cued, Yuu knocked on Miki's door just as she finished getting ready. "Are you all set to go?" Yuu called to her. Miki smiled to herself in the mirror before heading out to meet her brother.

"Yup, I'm ready! Now, let's go eat!" Miki said, grabbing Yuu's arm and leading them down the stairs and out the door.

An hour later Miki and Yuu arrived at school. Just having finished a light breakfast at a small café down the block. They went through their classes pretty safely that day. Hearing the thoughts of all the students in the classroom was causing a headache to form between the two, but once the last bell rang and they were free, it started to fade quickly.

Soon afterwards found Miki and Yuu standing outside the movie theatre waiting for Meiko to arrive. Both of them suddenly grasped their heads in pain when a group of young girls walked by them…all thinking different things:

(I hope I don't look fat in my new outfit…)

(Man, I wish that they hadn't dragged me out today, I have a ton of stuff that I SHOULD be doing…)

(Why did we have to bring Sakura?)

(I can't wait to see Alan tonight…I wonder if he'll kiss me…)

Miki was practically crying from the immense pain she felt with so many voices in her head. It was as if they were all screaming it right in her ear, instead of only thinking it. She wondered why it hadn't been this bad at school that morning. Why hadn't the kids in her class caused this much pain upon her?

Yuu began slowly drifting to the ground, holding his head trying to shield all the voices he heard. He couldn't quite make out all the different thoughts, just heard a huge amount of noise. He grabbed onto Miki, hoping that she could help him. But before either of them could do a thing about their pain, it was gone. The group of girls had disappeared into a nearby store, taking their thoughts with them.

"Miki-chan! Matsuura-san!" The two flicked their, still pounding, heads toward the familiar voice. They both saw their dear friend racing toward them, she waved at them to be sure to have their attention. "Gomen nasai, minna-chan. I can't go to the movies today...I've got to finish my paper for the Literature Club. I'm so sorry, guys. It's just that I really need to get this done."

"Don't worry about it Meiko-chan. We understand." Miki said, smiling brightly at her.

(I'm such a horrible person. I can't believe I'm lying to my best friend like this.) Meiko thought. Miki's forehead scrunched in confusion.

(Lying? Yuu, how is she lying to us?) Yuu simply looked at her, thinking he knew what it was she was hiding.

"Well, I better get going. I'll make this up to you both!" Meiko said. (Now, off to meet Na-chan!) She thought, racing away from them both. Missing Miki's fallen jaw.

"Yuu?" Miki's voice was shaking, her hands were trembling. "What's going on?"

(I'm so sorry, Miki. We never wanted you to find out this way.) Yuu said to her, taking her hands in his and rubbing them with his thumbs.

"What?" Miki barely whispered. Her eyes were foggy, her head was pounding. She didn't understand.

(Meiko has been secretly dating Na-chan for years now. I found them together once in the library at school, but swore my secrecy to her. I'm so sorry.)

"You knew?" Miki pulled her hands from his roughly. "How could you two be hiding something like this from me? And for so long! I just can't believe it." Miki began to storm off before Yuu grabbed her shoulders from behind.

(Wait. Please don't be mad.)

"Don't touch me!" Miki screamed at him, twirling around to glare daggers at him. "I just can't look at you right now. You betrayed me." Yuu noticed tears glistening in her eyes and immediately wanted to grab her and hold her to him tightly, but before he had the chance, Miki took off. He let her go. He simply watched her run from him, her thoughts echoing through his mind as she screamed at herself, screamed at everyone she held close to her, screamed silently, only the two of them would ever be able to hear it…

To Be Continued!

_

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(AN: REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! For me? REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! Thanks!)_


	4. Chapter Four

"**Telepathically Connected"**

**by: S. Schumaker**

_Standard Disclaimers Apply_

_(AN: Well. It's been nearly four years since I originally started this story and three since I've updated. I'm an awful person, and I'm truly sorry! I just recently came back to my fanfiction, about a week ago in fact. I was looking over some of my older works, and couldn't help but miss this story. I apologize sincerely for not finishing it before, but maybe with this new chapter you'll be able to forgive me. Please r/r as usual, and I will continue to update as best I can. Thank you for everything! Enjoy!)_

**Chapter Four**

Key

" " - speech

( ) - thoughts

An hour later found Miki drying her eyes as she sat on a park bench, watching a few children laughing and playing tag nearby. She slumped back against the bench, thinking about what had happened earlier that day. Meiko hadn't been able to trust her with her huge secret. She could sort of understand why. A hidden romance is sexy, plus their relationship isn't exactly something that would be accepted in the community.

Her mind thought back to how she reacted toward Yuu. She felt a little embarrassed. It certainly wasn't his fault for hiding this huge secret. He was just being loyal to Meiko. She tilted her head back against the bench, gazing up at the sky. She closed her eyes, allowing the sun to warm her face. Suddenly, she felt a presence beside her and jerked her eyes open, her head whipping to the right. Next to her, sat a smiling Yuu.

"Yuu! Geez, you scared the willies out of me!" Miki spoke exasperated, putting a hand over her heart at the fear that was still present inside of her.

Yuu just laughed to himself and leaned back on the bench. "Look, Miki, I'm really sorry that I didn't tell you about Meiko and Na-chan, but I promised Meiko I wouldn't say anything." Yuu looked at her, his eyes filled with regret.

Miki smiled at him, "It's okay. I understand why it was kept a secret. I just feel a little hurt that Meiko felt she couldn't trust me with it. I mean, I am her best friend." Miki sighed to herself, closing her eyes again.

Yuu looked at Miki, noticing how peaceful she looked sitting there with her eyes closed and her face slightly turned up. His eyes fell to her lips, noticing a small pout present. Before any thoughts about her erupted, he grabbed her hand and pulled her up. "Let's go home, Miki." She nodded in response and allowed Yuu to lead her in the direction of their house.

After walking for nearly a block and a half, Miki noticed that they were still holding hands. She flushed. (His hand!)

(What, this?) Yuu thought back, holding up their conjoined hands and looking at them strangely. He knew that Miki felt a little uncomfortable, and it made him smile a little.

"Wh-why are we holding hands?" Miki asked, her face red with embarrassment.

"You don't want to?" Yuu asked, stopping in place to look at her.

"Doesn't matter...to me." Miki answered, dropping her gaze to the ground and continuing in the direction toward home, trying to distract her thoughts from Yuu.

(So cute.) Yuu thought as he followed Miki and they continued toward their house. Miki pretended that she didn't hear him and tried to focus her thoughts on her schoolwork, her tennis matches, anything but him.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, the two teens reached their house and they continued inside to find four large suitcases packed up near the door. They stopped in place, hearing their parent's moving about quickly inside the house. "Did you pack your vitamins, hun?"

"Yes, dear."

Miki and Yuu looked at each other in confusion before fully entering their house and setting off in search of their parents, determined to figure out what was going on.

"Mom? Dad?" Miki called out. Suddenly, as if they were on cue, all four parents whisked out of different rooms and stopped in front of them.

"Yes, darlings." They said in unison. Miki nearly choked in surprise at their almost timed entrance and greeting, taking a step back to brace herself.

"Wh-what's going on?" She asked them, noticing they were all holding different things. Clothes, a bottle of sunscreen, some beach towels, and a large bag full of water toys.

"We're just packing up for our trip. Getting everything ready for tomorrow." Jin answered, adjusting the items in his arms so they wouldn't come crashing to the floor.

"Trip?" Yuu and Miki asked together, stunned looks on their faces.

"Didn't we tell you?" They just shook their heads in response. Rumi walked toward the small kitchen table, placing the water toys down. "Well, we decided to go to Key West, Florida in America for a week. I guess we all assumed that one of us would've told you..." She smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"Yeah, Florida here we come!" Jin replied. (I feel so awful deserting them like this, and lying about it!)

Miki furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. (What are they lying about, Yuu?)

Yuu shrugged. "So, you're leaving tomorrow, eh? What are you gonna do while you're there?"

Chiyako piped up, "Well, I hear the beaches there are amazing! So, hopefully the weather will be nice and we can do some sunbathing!" (Actually, we'll probably be stuck indoors the entire trip, won't we...)

The teen's confusion seemed to triple. Their parents were going to the states, but they weren't going to be on the beaches? But indoors? What was going on here?

"Yeah, hopefully the waves will be good enough to do a little surfing too!" Youji added, mimicking a surfer in his place in the living room. (Or maybe our shrink can let us just surf through these therapy sessions...)

Miki gasped in shock. Her parents were going into therapy? In the states? Why? Youji turned to Miki, "What's the matter, honey? Are you okay?" He asked, oblivious to the knowledge of his children's telepathic abilities.

"Uh-ah. I'm just getting worried about you is all. Surfing can be real dangerous." The words escaped Miki's lips quickly, trying to cover up the real reason for her shock. (Yuu, do you think this has anything to do with that little fight we saw earlier?)

(Must be. I can't believe this though...) Yuu thought. He hung his head in thought, wondering where the happiness his parents once felt had disappeared to.

"Well, we best be off to bed. We've got an early flight in the morning. All the phone numbers and a credit card are up on the counter. You two have a great week. No parties, okay?" Rumi smiled, kissing the two teens on the top of their heads and disappearing into her room, followed swiftly by the other three parents.

Yuu and Miki walked slowly up to Miki's room, dropping down on her bed, still in shock. "I hope everything is okay between them." Miki said.

"Me too. Well, if they are all willing to give therapy a try, I'm sure everything will be okay. The first step to recover is acceptance, right?" Yuu added, laying down on the bed.

"Yeah, I guess so." Miki answered, just as Yuu's leg brushed up against her arm. She swallowed hard, a flutter of nervousness floating through her at his touch. She looked over her shoulder to see him cuddled up in her bed, his blond hair draped over her pillows. He shut his eyes in thought, his mind still contemplating the fate of his parents.

Miki's eyes drifted over his face, down his chest. He looked absolutely beautiful. He looked at peace and serene. She shook her head, standing up from the bed and walking toward her closet, grabbing her pajamas. "I'm going to take a shower. See you in the morning." She hastily walked out of the room, leaving Yuu atop her bed.

He jumped up and poked his head around the doorframe, watching her walk down the hall and turn down the stairs. He stepped back in the room. (Man, that girl is something else. She's so beautiful and now that she's in my mind, I have to be very careful about what I'm thinking. It'd be just awful if she found out about my feelings for her. How awkward would our home life become...Yeah, she definitely cannot find out...)

To Be Continued...

_(AN: I realize this chapter was kind of lame, for having such a long time to update...but I wanted to get something out there soon! I'll update again shortly, I promise!)_


	5. Chapter Five

"**Telepathically Connected"**

**by: S. Schumaker**

_Standard Disclaimers Apply_

_(AN: I told you there'd be an update soon! Sure, it's a few months later than I had originally hoped, but it's certainly not as long as my last update was . . . (three years!) Anyway, I do hope you enjoy this chapter . . . it's going to start getting interesting, very interesting! Why? Well, because Yuu and Miki get the house alone . . . for an entire week! What fun I shall have! (Insert evil laughter here) All right, I'm done fooling around. Enjoy the update, and remember to review! Thanks and much love for the holidays!)_

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Key

" " - speech

( ) - thoughts

The following morning, Miki and Yuu were forced out of bed at the crack of four. Both, completely disheveled, stumbled down the stairs to see their parent's off.

"Now Yuu, watch over little Miki here . . . keep her safe!" Youji patted his son on the back, quickly hugging the two exhausted teens before grabbing a couple bags and heading out the door.

"Remember you two, we'll be back in one week. All the hotel information is on the fridge door if there is an emergency. Behave!" Rumi smiled at them. Pinching her daughter's cheek gently before following after Youji.

Jin squeezed in between them, draping an arm over their shoulders. "We mean it about the party thing . . . only the two of you are allowed in this house while we're away. Got that?" He then grabbed a suitcase and raced after Rumi and Youji.

Finally, Chiyako walked up to them, handing Yuu a credit card. "Why don't you put this in your wallet right now, Yuu? That way you won't misplace it. All right, you two be good. We love you! Call you from the keys!"

The slamming door seemed to echo in the nearly empty house. Yuu and Miki sighed in utter exhaustion before slowing making their way back up to their beds. (I still can't believe they are lying to us about the trip . . . ) Miki thought.

"Ah, it's nothing Miki. They probably just didn't want us to worry about them." Yuu yawned out, pushing open his bedroom door and flopping in onto his bed. Miki followed him in briefly, watching as he snuggled into his blankets. She gave a small smile before sauntering off to her own bed.

A few hours later and Miki was startled awake by a loud pounding on her door. She sat up in bed in fright, holding her blankets tightly in fear. She sat for a moment, wondering what was hitting her door. "Miki! We're gonna be late! Wake up!" Yuu burst in, already dressed in his school uniform. "C'mon!" He walked out of the room just as Miki reached for her clock.

(Oh no! I _have_ woken up late! Darn it!) Miki jumped out of bed, quickly throwing her uniform on and grabbing her book bag, racing down the stairs just as Yuu was walking out the door. She slid on her shoes and instantly followed after him, slamming the door for the second time that day.

The two of them reached school in about ten minutes, but once they had, they instantly regretted it. Thoughts from every student in the building seemed to be screaming within their minds. They couldn't even pick out the voices of the thoughts as they all worked as one. Miki fell down on one of the benches in the hallway, holding her hands over her ears tightly desperately trying to block out the thoughts. Yuu sank down to one knee nearby, his own body weakening under the noise.

"Miki, Matsuura? What's wrong with you two?" Ginta asked as he approached them, looking down at them. He reached over, helping Yuu to his feet. This just caused him to reach for Miki just as she reached for him. They had to get out of there. There was no way they could go to class with so many voices screeching inside of them.

They turned away from Ginta, leaning on one another as they headed back out of the school. Ginta just shrugged his shoulders at them and walked off to his classroom. Once they had stepped out into the school courtyard they raced toward the front gates. "Koishikawa-san! Matsuura-san! There is no open campus here children. Where do you think you're going?"

Miki and Yuu turned toward the speaker, spotting an angry teacher headed their way. "Uh, no, we know there isn't . . . it's just . . . we aren't feeling well . . . " Miki blurted out, her story sounding more like lies.

"All right, come on you two. Get to class." The teacher pointed back toward the building, raising an eyebrow at the teens. Miki and Yuu quickly exchanged a glance before slowly heading back into the school. Once they were inside, all the classroom doors were shut and all the students were in class. Peaceful to the two adolescents. They walked down the corridor, standing in front of their room. Taking a few deep breaths, they opened the door and headed inside.

Instantly, like a shock of electricity, all the thoughts from the people in the room came crashing down on them. They slowly stepped inside, making their way to their respective desks. "Nice of you two to join us." Namura smiled, neither one could make out his words and simply smiled back.

A couple minutes passed and neither one could even begin to hear Namura's lecture. Yuu just laid his head down on the desk, trying to block out the voices in his head. Miki's mind was so full of noise that she could only shift back and forth in her desk. Trying desperately to move out of earshot from the thoughts. Finally, she just couldn't take the screaming any longer. She shot up from her chair screaming back at those voices. "Shut up already!" Her hands flew over her ears again. For a brief moment there was silence to Miki and Yuu as all the students and Namura turned their attention to her. Yuu stood up quickly making his way through the desks to her. Nearly ten seconds later and he found himself falling to his knees again as the thoughts resumed.

(What's up with her?)

(Yuu? Where are you going?)

(I always thought that girl was crazy.)

Miki's mind nearly burst with pain and she slid past her desk, grabbing Yuu's arm and throwing it over her shoulder helping him to his feet. His hands flew to his ears and the two of them quickly made their way out of the classroom, slamming the door shut behind them. They slid down the length of the door, their heads still pounding from the voices within the room behind them.

"What is happening to us, Yuu?" Miki's voice sounded ragged, her breathing escaping in short gasps. Yuu just shook his head, pulling himself and her to their feet and walking out of the building, heading home for good.

To Be Continued . . .

* * *

_(AN: Yay! Finally getting to some good stuff! I'm liking my direction here . . . are you? More romance to come, I swear it!)_


	6. Chapter Six

"**Telepathically Connected"  
****by: S. Schumaker**

_Standard Disclaimers Apply_

_(AN: Well, I'm stuck doing absolutely nothing so I'm going to try and get some writing done. After some serious planning, I've finally figured out where I want to take this story. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon also. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, please review. It keeps me writing!)_

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Key

" " - speech  
( ) - thoughts

_Slurrrp_.

Her feet shuffled around in response to the noise.

_Slurrrp_.

"Yuu, be quiet please. My head is still throbbing from this morning at school." Miki moaned out from under the covers of her bed.

(Sorry.) Yuu whispered to her telepathically. He flipped past another page or two in the large book beneath him. _Slurrrppp_ . . . the sound escaped his straw before he could stop it. Miki jolted up in bed, glaring daggers in his direction.

"All right, I can't help it. Caffeine really helps with my headache." Yuu said, shaking his empty cola can in her direction, trying to defend himself from her oncoming wrath.

"Whatever, doesn't really matter anyway. I don't think anything but time and space from humans can cure this headache of mine. So, did you find anything yet?" Miki asked, sliding down to the floor to join her stepbrother. He had been looking through the spell book one more time, desperate for some answers to their situation.

"Nothing yet, unfortunately. But I'll keep looking." Yuu replied, continuing his search through the book. Miki, feeling slightly dejected at his response, fell back on the floor in mock exhaustion.

She thought back over what had happened that morning. Their parent's heading off to the states, the two of them being left alone for an entire week, heading to school in a terrible rush so they wouldn't be late, and nearly having their heads explode once they got there. After they had slammed the door to the school behind them, they simply headed back home.

It was practically a miracle their parent's had left that very morning. They didn't have to explain a thing to anyone about their sudden departure from school. But what would happen if they couldn't fix this telepathic thing? Would they have to live in isolation from people for the rest of their lives?

"Miki, it will all be okay. I'll figure out something. I promise." Yuu smiled at her, listening in on her daily remembrances. Miki returned the smile before trying to quiet her mind and rest, throwing an arm over her eyes to block the ceiling lamp.

Yuu flipped to the second to the last page of the book and finally found something relevant to their case. He scanned the text briefly before shaking Miki gently. "I think I've found something." She sat up almost instantly, leaning over the book to see for herself.

"What is it, Yuu?"

"It says that truth spells have a rather serious side affect. It says that if the truth is not revealed quickly it will become blindingly apparent."

Miki sat back on her heels, a slight frown on her lips. (What on earth does that mean?)

(To be honest, I'm not really sure, but just the way it sounds "blindingly apparent" . . . sounds painful, right? Like what's been happening to us?) Yuu wondered. "I could be wrong though." He shrugged his shoulders, slamming the books closed and leaning back against the wall.

"All right. So let me get this all straight. We've cast a telepathic truth spell on ourselves that can only be reversed when all truth has been revealed, right?"

"Yes." Yuu answered, looking at the girl strangely, wondering where she was taking this point.

"But, we're experiencing this blindingly apparent side effect which only appears when the truth isn't revealed, right? So I guess that means there are more secrets between us, doesn't it?" Miki asked, feeling herself understanding their situation.

"Well, it's not necessarily just between us either. I mean, you learned about Meiko and Na-chan's relationship and we found out that our parents are having some relationship difficulties, right? So I guess it's about all the people in our lives. We have to reveal all the secrets we've been holding onto in order for this pain to subside and for our lives to go back to normal." Yuu replied. (Without the telepathic power . . . )

(Great.) Miki answered, a tang of sarcasm in her tone. She stood and began pacing the room. (Reveal all my secrets. To Yuu? No way.) Miki started walking toward the door, she had to get out of that room before all the thoughts she normally had about Yuu came spilling forth.

(Hang on!) Yuu grabbed her ankle, stopping her from leaving the room. (If you are hiding something from me, you have to tell me. It won't be a secret any longer and we can finally get rid of this spell!) He stood, looking deeply at his stepsister.

(Well, what about you? Have anything hidden from me?) Miki questioned him, trying to divert the attention away from her and her feelings that lay buried inside.

(Se-secrets? N-no way . . . ) Yuu hesitantly thought back. Unable to convince Miki, he watched her place her hands on her hips and tap her foot impatiently.

"Out with it, mister!" Miki said, holding her hand out to receive his secret.

"I...I just can't, okay. Some secrets were meant to stay that way!" Yuu practically yelled at her before racing past her and into his room. Miki shut the door behind him, sliding down it to the floor.

"Well, I guess this means we won't be going to school tomorrow either . . . "

To Be Continued . . .

* * *

_(AN: All right, sorry that there wasn't any major good romance in this chapter, but the next I swear it. And, since it took me so long to update this again, once I get it all checked out and everything I'm starting on the next chapter! Hopefully I can post two in one week. That's my plan. So, reviews?)_


	7. Chapter Seven

"**Telepathically Connected"  
****by: S. Schumaker**

_Standard Disclaimers Apply_

_(AN: All right, I'm trying here people! I really want to get these chapters out and get this story finished for all of you reading it! Besides, I have these amazing ideas for future stories coming at me like crazy, but I won't start them until I get the three stories I've been working on for so many years finished and behind me. It's a good motivator anyway. So, enjoy the newest installment. Remember to review it for me! Thanks !)_

Also! I added in a new thought bracket, due to the development of this chapter, just keep that in mind! Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Key

" " - speech  
( ) - thoughts  
(()) - distant thoughts? (Even I was getting confused!)

His eyes roamed over nothing in particular as his thoughts seemed to take control of him. He couldn't help but worry over what would happen if all his secrets were revealed to Miki. How would she react if she found out how he felt about her? How would that affect their relationship as step-siblings? (She would feel so strange around me all the time if she knew. I have to find some other way to break this spell. Secrets have to be revealed in their own time, or not at all!) Yuu stood from the bed and began to pace in front of it.

((If only I could...)) A soft whisper sounded through Yuu's mind. He strained his ears, squinting his eyes in concentration.

(What was that?) Yuu walked over to his door, confirming that it was indeed shut and blocking out the thoughts of others.

((What will I do?)) The whisper continued.

"Whoa!" Yuu said, shaking his head. (Is that someone thinking? In my head?) Yuu moved away from the door, listening intently.

((I've got to think up a way to hide this. He cannot find out.)) The whisper slowly got louder, causing Yuu to fall back onto his bed in slight fright, and definite worry.

(Is this Miki's voice? Are these Miki's thoughts?) His worries began to develop even more strongly in him. If it really was Miki, they were about to have some serious problems! (Miki?) Yuu asked in his mind.

A second or two passed by before the whisper continued: ((What was that? Sounded like Yuu? But, it couldn't possibly be him. Silly girl, got the boy on your mind enough lately? Jeepers!))

"Damn." Yuu whispered under his breath, dropping his head into his hands as he thought: (Hey, Miki. It's me, Yuu.)

Before the voice could respond to Yuu, he heard a scream from down the hall and a pair of hurried footsteps through it. His door flew open, and in stepped a frazzled Miki. She slumped to her knees at the room's entrance, her breathing heavy and hurried. "Tell me that wasn't you just now. Please?" Miki practically begged him, her eyes filled with fear.

"As much as I'd like it not to have been me, it was. I heard your thoughts when you were in your room. Which means, we are going to have some serious problems soon." Yuu answered, moving off his bed to sit near his sister. He had to admit, she looked kinda cute when she was frazzled, with her hair shooting off in different directions and her breath labored as it was.

"Okay, so now what happens?" Miki wondered.

"Well, let's think about this for a second. I mean, before, when we first cast this damn spell on ourselves, we could only hear the thoughts of people in the same room as us. Then, the thoughts started gradually getting louder. Remember those girls when we were walking to meet Meiko for that movie the other day?" Yuu paused in his memories.

Miki could only nod her head, a flash of that pain she felt coming back to her for a moment.

"Then," Yuu continued, "when we went to school, we couldn't even seem to function because of all the screaming voices in our heads, but when we slammed the door to the classroom it all went away. But now, it seems our own thoughts are passing through even the walls and it's only a matter of time before everyone's thoughts can reach us too."

A groan escaped Miki's throat as she fell back to lay down on Yuu's bedroom floor. "I was afraid of that. So, I guess the spell is becoming blindingly apparent, huh?"

Yuu had to laugh softly at his sweet sister. She really was adorable. Before his thoughts got the better of him though, he stood up and held a hand out to Miki, pulling her into his arms gently. "Well, I suppose we should try to get these secrets revealed soon then, right? Otherwise we're gonna be in some major pain."

Miki, however, could hardly understand what he was saying. Being held in his arms like that was driving her senses wild. (So warm..) She thought to herself about the embrace.

"Are you all right, Miki?" Yuu asked, hearing her confession. He held a hand to her forehead, checking for a fever. "Are you feeling ill?" Yuu's concern broke Miki from her slight trance in his arms. She pushed away from him, and started backing out of the room.

"No, I'm fine...really! Um, I'll go start dinner, all right?" Miki ran from the room, trying to separate herself from Yuu before her secret about her true feelings toward him was revealed.

Yuu realized that Miki's thoughts were very quiet and distant while she was in the kitchen downstairs. He could hear the mumblings of her thoughts, but not make sense of them. (I guess that means my thoughts are quiet and distant to her as well.) Yuu pondered. "Well, at least that gives me some more time for my thoughts to remain private."

A while later, sitting at his desk, Yuu was trying to get some reading done, waiting for Miki to call him down for dinner. As Yuu looked over the different buildings and designs in one of his architectural books, he could finally start to grasp onto Miki's distant thoughts and understand what she was thinking. He knew it was wrong, but he cleared his own mind as best as he could and focused all his energies on Miki's thoughts, silently listening in.

((All right, Miki. Don't mess this up. I always cook horribly when it's for Yuu. I get too nervous and screw everything up. Just concentrate!)) Yuu smiled to himself, she sure was trying hard just to please him.

((I can't believe our situation. Secrets and feelings cannot be forced out. I simply cannot reveal to _him_ my feelings. It'd totally ruin everything!)) Miki's thoughts began to slowly get louder to Yuu.

He shut his book and listened even harder: ((He's just so...I love him so much.)) She paused making Yuu incredibly anxious.

"Who is she talking about? Ginta?" Yuu whispered quietly, almost forgetting Miki wasn't near enough to him to actually hear his words. He waited for more.

((I just, I think about him all the time. He is so sweet, and kind. If only I could reveal my feelings for him without ruining our friendship.))

(Who is it?!) Yuu couldn't stop himself from wondering in his thoughts. Just like that, he knew he wouldn't soon find out.

(Yuu?! What are... are you listening in on my thoughts?) He could hear the anger and embarrassment from Miki's tone. He was busted.

(Yeah, but, unfortunately, I didn't hear anything juicy.) Yuu sighed, mentally kicking himself for revealing his presence to her.

(You dirty dog!) Miki yelled at him, hurt that he would invade her privacy without her knowledge and a little flustered at how close he was to her secret.

(I'm sorry, Miki. To repay you, I'll finish up dinner!) Yuu answered her, moving from his desk and heading down toward her. Once he reached the kitchen, he discovered it in a state of dishevel. The counter tops were covered with various ingredients and the floor was littered with flour and other things. Letting out a laugh, Yuu pushed Miki out of the way and rolled up his sleeves. Digging into the cooking bowl and starting to repair Miki's recipe.

"No way! This was my idea and I'm going to finish it!" Miki protested, bumping Yuu's hip with her own and pushing him to the side. However, his hands were currently busy kneading the ingredients together and with Miki's small movement against him, the entire bowl went flying in the air and all the contents it held fell over Yuu's body, covering him in it.

Miki's laughter burst past her lips before she could stop it. Seeing the usually neat and tidy Yuu with a blanket of food covering him sent her over the edge. She grabbed at her stomach, feeling the tinges of pain from her excessive laughter.

Yuu just stared at the girl, a shock overtaking him. He watched as she began sinking to her knees from her laughter and suddenly he felt his arm moving of it's own accord. His fingers curled around the bag resting before him before he turned it upside down over her head. Miki felt the sugar coating her skin before she really understood what was happening. Licking her lips, she tasted the sweetness and instantly jumped to her feet.

"Yuu! What did you do?" Miki looked over him briefly before glancing down at herself covered in the confection. His only response was a laugh of his own. And just like that, the food fight began. Miki grabbed whatever she could reach and chucked it at her step-brother, just as Yuu grabbed for something and threw it her way.

The food fight lasted for a mere five minutes before they realized they were out of ingredients and now had nothing to prepare for supper. Exhausted as they were, they burst out laughing at the mess they had made of their supper, the kitchen, and themselves. Crumbling to the floor, they sat side by side against the cupboards and laughed for a long time, not caring how or when their mess would get cleaned up.

Soon, their laughter died down and they simply sat in silence together. Yuu turned toward Miki and bravely ran a finger along her arm, scooping up the food rested there before sliding his finger into his mouth, licking it clean.

"You taste pretty good, Miki." Yuu laughed, while Miki turned bright red at his comment. She suddenly felt very nervous in his presence and rightfully so as Yuu began leaning in closer to her. "What to see how I taste?" He asked her, his tone suddenly deepening more than he realized.

Miki mouth opened slightly at his remark, but soon it was forgotten as she realized Yuu's face was steadily coming closer to her own. With a lick of her sweetened lips, Miki prepared herself for a possible kiss from the man of her dreams. (Is he...going to...)

Yuu moved ever closer to her, wondering if her lips would taste as sweet as her arm did. As he inched his way to her lips, he paused slightly noticing the sparkles of the sugar crystals lacing her lips. They were like homing beacons to him as he continued in his pursuit of her lips.

(Are you going to...) Miki's thoughts couldn't quiet down as she watched Yuu's pursual.

Yuu stopped, looking up into Miki's eyes. (Shut up, already. Yes, I'm going to kiss you, okay?) Yuu couldn't help but smile at the shocked expression on Miki's face before he captured her candy-coated lips with his own.

To Be Continued . . .

* * *

_(AN: Eep! I'm getting so close to the end!! Only a chapter or two left, I figure! How'd you like it? Getting pretty sexy, yes? Let me know! Thanks!!)_


	8. Chapter Eight

"**Telepathically Connected"  
****by: S. Schumaker**

_Standard Disclaimers Apply_

_(AN: Yay! It's time for a new TC chapter and the last one I'm afraid! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and please be sure to leave me your comments using the handy little review button down below! And, be sure to check my profile page often about new stories! Thanks and much love for Independence Day!)_

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Key

"" - speech  
( ) - thoughts  
(()) - distant thoughts

As Miki found herself getting lost in Yuu's kiss, her mind cleared of all thoughts but one: (So…warm…) Yuu gently opened his mouth against hers, running his tongue over her sugar-laced lips, coaxing her to open for his own explorations. Miki, having never been kissed before, didn't expect Yuu's tongue to run along her lips and opened her mouth in shock against his. This only charged Yuu's fire even more as he slid his tongue inside of her, wrestling it heatedly with hers.

As Yuu continued to deepen the kiss to a whole new level, his thoughts escaped. (For so long, Miki, I've wanted to…)

But, just before Yuu could get out the sentence, a shrill bell broke the two teens apart. (Wait, what? For so long, what?) Miki wondered. Yuu moved back from her, stunned at what he had nearly revealed. He got to his feet, holding out a hand to Miki, pulling her up next to him. Instinctively, he held her against him as they looked around the kitchen, wondering where the bell had sounded from.

"Ringggggg…" It sounded again, startling Miki, causing her to back out of Yuu's warm embrace.

"It's the doorbell." Yuu said, walking around Miki and toward the entryway. Miki quickly jogged after him.

(Wait, wait, for so long, what?) Miki had to know what he was going to say. She just had to! But, as they two teens started moving closer to the door, other thoughts invaded their mind as the blindingly apparent side affect worsened.

((Geez, what's taking those two so long?)) A male thought outside the door.

((I sure hope Miki and Matsuura-san are all right…)) A female wondered to herself.

Yuu and Miki just glanced at each other before stepping up to the door and opening it, revealing a worried Meiko and Ginta beyond it.

((Geez, what happened to them?)) Ginta and Meiko thought in unison. Yuu and Miki, completely forgetting their disheveled appearances, looked at their friends in a confused state before reality came back to them.

They both just started laughing before explaining things in a haphazard manner.

"You see, what happened was…"

"Yeah, things got a little carried away…"

"Exactly! I was just going to help with dinner…and well…"

"Yeah, that's when all this happened." Miki gestured to their clothes, both feeling slightly flustered, not because of their hideously terrible explanation, but from the kiss that seemed to linger over their heads like a giant question mark.

As Miki and Yuu both seemed to trail off, not wanting to continue in their tale, Meiko and Ginta looked at them like they were crazy. "Well, okay then." Meiko replied, pushing a stray hair behind her ear.

"So… we were just wondering if you two were okay, you did kind of freak out in class today and then you just took off. But, if you are having food fights, you must be okay…" Ginta stuttered out nervously, feeling like he had interrupted something between his two friends.

"Oh yeah, it was nothing. We just weren't feeling well this morning, probably due to Miki's cooking last night." Yuu laughed, as Miki's fist punched him in the arm for the comment. "Why don't you come in?" Yuu and Miki stepped aside, allowing their friends room to step in.

Meiko held up a hand, "Actually, I can't. I've got to work on my homework. Here guys." She handed the two step-siblings a pile of their own homework. "Here's all that you missed today. I'd stay and help you out, but I really just came by to make sure you were okay, so I'll see you tomorrow, right? And, no cooking tonight, Miki." She shot her friend a teasing smile before turning and heading toward her house.

"Geez, that girl!" Miki fumed under her breath. "Well," her voice cheerful once again, "what about you Ginta? Would you like to come in for a while?"

"No, I can't stay either." Ginta began, almost afraid to leave them alone. "I've got a date with Arimi-san. But, I'm glad you two are feeling okay. Talk to you tomorrow?" Ginta called out, as he walked down the path leading to the sidewalk, waving a hand in the air behind him and leaving Yuu and Miki alone once again.

They stood in the doorway for another minute or so, just watching Ginta race down the block before Yuu shut the door behind them. They headed back into the kitchen, nearly forgetting what a terrible mess they had made in it. "Well, I suppose we should get this cleaned up." Miki said, heading toward a closet for the mop and broom. She grabbed the broom and began to sweep up the food into a neat pile.

Yuu grabbed a rag and began to wipe down the counters and appliances. Once Miki had finished with the sweeping, Yuu ran the sink full of hot bubbly water and started mopping behind her. Neither one of them said anything during their cleaning and both tried desperately hard not to think about the kiss they had just shared.

Once the kitchen was back to its sparkling glory, Yuu and Miki slumped back in a couple of chairs, exhausted. "Man, food fights sure are fun while it's happening, but definitely not afterwards." Yuu breathed out, wiping a hand across his sweaty brow. Miki simply nodded, too tired to say much.

"Well, I suppose we should get ourselves cleaned up too." Yuu continued, motioning toward his food covered hair. "Why don't you take a bath first, and I'll get dinner started?" Yuu jumped up from the chair and walked back to the kitchen, digging around for any ingredients that hadn't lost their lives due to the food fight.

"All right." Miki replied, getting to her feet and heading toward the bathroom. She shut the door behind her, wondering to herself if Yuu would be able to hear her thoughts in here. (Yuu?) She questioned, hoping he wouldn't be able to reply, she really needed some alone time to think. After a couple seconds with no response, Miki sighed in content. She was finally alone and could try and analyze what had just happened.

Yuu, in the kitchen, came to a similar relief. (Miki? Can you hear me?) Not being able to hear her, and not getting a response, Yuu sighed. He could finally try and figure out why he had just kissed his step-sister and what would happen because of it. Finding out that nothing edible was left untouched, Yuu decided to just wash his hair in the sink. Afterwards, he raced upstairs and grabbed a clean pair of clothes before he released his mind to his thoughts. (Why did I do that? All right, I know why I did it, but still, she's my step-sister! She was probably totally weirded out by it! But then again, she did kiss me back. God, she smelt so good! Like lavender and vanilla.) At this, Yuu's mind began to imagine even more. The smoothness of her naked lips pressed against his, the feel of her being held tightly in his arms, the softness of her hair as it fell through his fingers…

As Miki ran herself a bath, she undressed, tossing her dirty, food-ridden clothes into a hamper. Naked, she stepped slowly into the water, sliding herself down into it, feeling the comfort flow over her body. Her mind instantly thought back to Yuu's kiss. His lips had seemed to fit perfectly against hers. She ran her finger over her lips in remembrance, almost wishing his were still there.

She wondered why he had done it though. Was it just because he was caught up in the moment, or did he have feelings for her like she had for him? Miki giggled quietly to herself, simply giddy. Her crush had actually kissed her! Her very first kiss! Miki dipped her head down below the water, her thoughts escalating. She imagined Yuu sneaking into her bedroom late at night, when their parents were sleeping just down the hall. She imagined him waking her from her sleep with a kiss. She imagined him crawling into her bed, cuddling with her until morning, his kisses covering her body.

She smiled in her fantasies under the water, before coming back up to the surface, back to reality. Just as she did, a wave of noise hit her, and just her. ((I wish I could taste her again, those sweet, soft lips.)) Miki's face blanched, was that Yuu? She quickly sat up in the tub, her mind cleared, waiting for more. ((If only I could tell her…if only.))

Miki jumped out of the tub, drained it and quickly wrapped herself in a towel. If Yuu was about to confess something to her, she had to be ready to face him. ((God, you are so pathetic! Just tell the girl the truth!)) Yuu mentally scolded himself. Miki couldn't take it any longer. She wanted to know what this man thought of her, and she wanted to know now!

Without even getting dressed, Miki burst out of the bathroom and straight up to Yuu. "Just what is going on here?" Miki huffed out, adjusting the towel around her body. Yuu turned around, startled by Miki's presence, but even more startled by her apparel. Was she trying to give him a heart attack?

"Whoa." Yuu breathed out, looking Miki up and down in wonder. "You look… amazing…" Yuu continued, watching as a few water droplets ran down her arm. (So sexy…) Miki blushed deeply, completely forgetting that she was dressed in only a towel. She turned to go back to the bathroom to get dressed, but Yuu grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. Before Miki could blink, Yuu had dropped down and captured her lips again and the second they did, it felt like he had just returned home.

But, this kiss was nothing like the first. It was a desire-driven, smoldering, body-numbing kiss. Miki felt her legs go weak and was thankful to be held in Yuu's arms otherwise she might have simply tumbled to the floor like a puddle. She tried desperately to keep her towel from falling as Yuu's hands raked up and down her sides in such a manner that made the process difficult. Eventually, as the kiss deepened unbelievably, she forgot about her towel and simply enjoyed the feel of Yuu's lips against hers.

(What's wrong with me? I can't control myself anymore…) Yuu thought. He had felt such a power over him when he saw Miki garbed in such a way. He couldn't seem to stop himself from kissing her, from touching her. His mind didn't even take a second to rationalize his actions; it had simply shut down, causing Yuu to practically jump at the girl.

As the kiss grew stronger and stronger, Yuu's rational mind finally kicked in. He pushed himself away from her. Miki, completely thrown by the action, nearly fell when Yuu pulled back. Yuu hands rested on Miki's shoulders as they both panted after his assault.

And, with labored breathes and red faces, the two stood in the middle of the kitchen as they heard an absolute roar of voices inside their head. A roar like they had never heard before. It almost reminded Yuu of standing in a packed stadium of screaming voices only with the volume turned way up. They both fell to the floor, unable to do anything but cover their ears. It seemed like everyone's thoughts in the entire city were screaming through their minds.

Yuu grabbed for Miki, pulling her toward him. He had to reveal his secret, and fast, this pain was simply too much to handle. They would die if he didn't tell her how he really felt. "Miki!" He screamed out at her. Unfortunately, she couldn't even seem to hear him over the crying in her head. "Miki!" He yelled again, shaking her toward him. She lifted her eyes, her hands still pressed tightly over her ears.

"Miki! I have to tell you something!!!" Yuu continued, hoping that she would be able to understand him. He was having a hard enough time staying conscious. He needed this revealed, and quickly.

"I have to tell you something too, Yuu!" Miki shouted back. Really, neither one could actually hear what they were telling each other, but they were both focused enough to be able to read each other's lips.

"Miki! I've loved you since the first time I saw you! That's my secret! I love you!" Yuu yelled out. He noticed tears streaming down her face and wondered if it was because of his revelation or the pain they felt.

"Oh God, Yuu!" Miki barely croaked out. The words she had prayed to hear had actually been spoken and she didn't hear a thing! She couldn't believe it! "I love you too!" Miki screamed, just as the entire world went silent and a very familiar flash of light surrounded them and dimmed away. Miki pitched forward to the floor from the impact of the silence, just as Yuu toppled down beside her. They simply laid there for a while, taking deep breaths and trying to recover from the unbelievable pain that was left over.

"Is it over?" Miki finally said, lifting her body to a sitting position. "Is the spell actually over?"

"I think so." Yuu replied, moving to sit beside her. "We finally did it, Miki. We told each other how we felt and I think that's what broke the spell!" Yuu reached out to her, pulling her tightly against him. "I'm so sorry it took me so long to say those three little words. God, I love you, Miki!"

"And, I love you." Miki's voice cracked with tears as Yuu pulled her into a hug. Miki wrapped her arms around Yuu's neck, pulling him closer to her as they suddenly heard the front door bang open and four familiar voices calling out to them.

"Miki-chan! Yuu-chan! Where are you guys?" In stepped their parents, dressed in shorts and tanks, Rumi even clad with a plastic water toy around her waist.

Yuu and Miki bolted apart, their secret not only revealed between the two of them, but also to their parents.

"Oh my! It worked!" Jin exclaimed as he witnessed his children in a state of embarrassment and exhaustion. Miki simply flushed, pulling her towel ever tighter around her as she raced off to her sanctuary, the bathroom. Once she was fully clothed, she came back out and joined her parents and Yuu in the living room.

"What do you mean, 'it worked'?" Miki wondered.

"Well, we lied to you two." Jin said.

"Not technically. I mean, they were the ones eavesdropping on our thoughts!" Chiyako argued.

"Huh!?" Miki and Yuu jumped up, suddenly getting scared.

The parents simply laughed for a while before Youji continued: "We planted that magic book near Miki in the hopes that you two would reveal your feelings for one another." Miki and Yuu turned crimson, each looking toward the floor. "Then, we pretended to have a fight and leave for counseling. We knew you two had cast the mind reading spell, and well, we just wanted to play with you, I guess. So, we really just went on vacation and hoped you two would work things out. And, here you are… all in love!" Youji swooned, cuddling up to Rumi.

"It's so perfect." Chiyako swooned as well, snuggling into the arms of Jin. "We're in love, and our children are in love!" Miki and Yuu continued to blush.

"Look, they're embarrassed. So cute!" Rumi squealed.

"Now, now, let's leave the two love-birds alone!" Jin announced, ushering the adults out of the room, and turning back toward them with a wink before he too left.. Miki and Yuu just sat there staring after them for a while before quietly making their way up to Yuu's bedroom.

Once inside, Yuu closed the door behind them. Miki sat down on his bed, wishing she could still read Yuu's mind. But, she soon realized she didn't need a spell to know what he was thinking. Yuu went and sat down next to her, pulling her into his arms. "Well, now that we've revealed everything and our parents know everything, I guess we can jump right to the good stuff, right?"

"The good stuff? What's that?" Miki asked, just as Yuu swooped down and pressed his lips to hers in another kiss. And this kiss was definitely different than the others; it was their first kiss as a real couple. A real couple in love.

**The End!!!**

* * *

_(AN: Wow! After how many years, and I'm actually finished! I cannot believe it! It's a little sad, sure, but still fantastic! Well, what did you think of it? Let me know!!)_


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